4 Best Sights in Heber Valley, Park City and the Southern Wasatch

This steam train takes passengers on a nostalgic trip along a line that first ran in 1899, past the Deer Creek Reservoir and through beautiful Provo Canyon. It continues past Bridal Veil Falls, a veil-like waterfall near snow-capped Mount Timpanogos. Each car has been restored, and two of the engines are fully operational, steam-powered locomotives. The railroad offers special events, including cheese-tasting rides, the local favorite North Pole Express, Raft 'n Rails (pairing rafting with a train excursion), Reins 'n Trains (with horseback riding), and Wilderness. Lunch is available for an extra cost.

There's no climate control in the rail cars, so dress for the weather.

East of Park City, this scenic byway winds through aspens and ponderosa pines, skirts alpine lakes and waterfalls, and reaches 11,943-foot Bald Mountain. The ride is good, but getting out of the car is better. A spectacular hike is the 5-mile, five-lake Lofty Lake Loop, which starts at the Pass Lake Trailhead at mile 32. It's also a great place to snowshoe in the winter. Keep an eye out for moose, wildflowers, and changeable weather. Reward yourself with jerky from Samak Smoke House, a typical dry goods store near the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest's Kamas entrance.

On the southern end of Wasatch Mountain State Park, this activity center was one site for the 2002 Winter Olympics and still hosts the national championship Nordic ski events and other events, including powwows and sheepdog championships. It's open to the public year-round for hiking, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, tubing, and snowshoeing, as well as biathlon and other events. A beautiful lodge has food concessions, equipment rentals, and a souvenir shop.

This 22,000-acre preserve is 3 miles from Heber City and provides for a number of activities, ranging from serene hikes along winding mountain trails to golfing at one of the four 18-hole courses. Children have their own fishing pond near the visitor center. In winter, hiking turns to snowshoeing and cross-country or backcountry skiing along the Dutch Hollow, Snake Creek, or Pine Creek Trails winding up through stands of Gambel oak, aspen, and maple.